When: Sign-on at Orroral River Camp Ground by 13:15 at latest, wearing your registered number with personal details on reverse side.

Description:

ABCD: Start to Orroral Tracking Centre (OTC), to Glendale to OTC, to Glendale, to the Finish (58km)

EFG: Start to OTC, to Glendale, to OTC, to Boboyan Rd IC, to the Finish (48km)

Race Director: Rosemary Robinson

Contact: rosemaryr2@iinet.net.au Ph: (02) 6214 9640

Help needed on Saturday: Rosemary already has three volunteers for Marshalling duty. She will probably need at least one other another assistant at the Start/Finish line.

Fund Raising Afternoon Tea

Lindy Hou, Elton Ivers and Rosemary (along with a team including 2 other blind cyclists) are riding from Gold Coast to Sydney from 17/9-24/9/11 to raise money for Retina Australia.

Following the event on Saturday, they will be putting on a fund raising afternoon tea. Participants will be asked for a donation in return for some tasty treats.

People who would like to know more about the ride or donate on line can visit www.ride4retina.com .

Recent Results: Saturday, 27th August – Dog Trap Road

66 riders lined up on a lovely, nearly Spring Day for the regular ride along Dog Trap Rd. The weather was fine, the pace was fast (pity about all the pot holes on the road) and everyone seemed to be in good form.

Our many thanks to Race Director Rico Fitch (who stepped in to volunteer at short notice) and his willing assistants.

Paul Scherl, Allan Bontjer and I went to Cootamundra on the weekend for the annual Cootamundra Classic (106 k) and the Cootamundra Recovery race (70k) for $5,000 in prize money. It’s called the ‘Classic’ because it’s been running in its present form since 1957. I was born that year so I guess that makes me a Classic too.

The Cootamundra Classic was run over a hilly and challenging course. There were about 175 riders from clubs all over NSW. Canberra was well represented by CCC and Vikings riders and some MACT riders. I was in ‘Limit’ with about 22 other riders. The weather was perfect for racing and we were waved away by the lovely Cootamundra Wattle Queen. The bunch worked well and we ripped along like a well-oiled machine to the hills just out of town. Country races are well organised and generally more gritty. For instance riders assemble exactly on time in a marshalling area where a roll call is taken and then you move to the line for a prompt start. Tough luck if you miss the roll call and you don’t get a second chance. Anyway way we rocketed out of town to the first hill. No problem with that. Then the next hill and the peloton started to totally implode. We dropped about 10 riders as we flogged up the hill. Rolling onto the next rise with only 10 riders left we were greeted at the very top by an enthusiastic supporter in a Borat style Mankini running alongside us. Busily laughing at the Manikin I started to drift off the back of the peloton with a couple of other riders. Oh the hazards of country racing.

3 of us tried to get back on but the 6 lead riders just seemed to slip away. The 3 of us fought on and tried to regain the peloton. I soon became aware that one of the riders with me from the Coota club seemed to know everyone in the district on a first name basis. At every farm gate and at the top of every hill and intersection locals had set up chairs and picnic lunches and were cheering on the riders. Coota Club man was being cheered on by everyone. His local knowledge proved useful as he kept telling us things like “there’s a sharp corner coming up” or “this hill is easier than it looks” etc . In the distance we could see the peloton getting further way from us, and a herd of sheep across the road. The sheep went away and so did the lead bunch. The other rider, a Tall Blonde Chick (TBC) and Coota Man and I decided that we would try and get to the top of the worst hill before the next bunch caught us and then sit on for a 30k flat stage. We timed it just right and at the 60 k mark Coota Man and TBC and I were joined by a fast travelling peloton of the next group of about 50 riders. We hit the flats and according to my GPS the speed rarely dropped below 60k for 20k. I went to the front and took my turn several times. What was I thinking? We eventually came to a dirt section about 4k long when were overhauled by a Prime News car with a camera man hanging out of it. “Hi Mum, look at me I’m a bike racer” The car sped off in a cloud of dust. The race turned onto another road and stated up another big hill. I came adrift from the bunch with about 5 riders and we started reorganising ourselves to keep up the tempo. And so it went on for the rest of the race. Fast bunch appears, I jump on, fast bunch disappears I get dropped. Coota Man and TBC had disappeared. At one stage a fast bunch came through and another rider moved over and hit me from behind at speed. He just seemed to bounce off and apologized profusely. Hmmm one of those times I’m glad I’m a heavy rider I thought. After many gels a power bar and 2 bottles of water and a close encounter of a black snake kind I finally made it into Cootamundra after Time Trialling the last 10 k by myself. Country races don’t use electronic tags to record riders time or position. They’re only interested in the first 10 riders.

Off to the presentation at the RSL that evening, where lots of top talent was applauded for their efforts. Canberra riders did well. After a huge pizza straight to bed to get ready for the ‘Recovery Race’ the next day. Back to back racing takes its toll and on the shorter course and the speed seemed to me to be even higher. Allan placed in the top 10 in the Recovery ride and won several sprint primes.

If you want to try a really tough race on a great course I’d recommend this event. Great people, thrilling course and a bit of history and wildlife throw in.

Things I learnt.

Long races are about energy conservation; don’t go belting to the front all the time. Great fun but you’ll pay for it.

Eat lots in longer races but pick the time you refuel carefully. Going downhill at the back of the bunch is a good time.

If you’re going to try long races get your kilometers up in training about a month before.

The Wattle Queen is a real person.

Cheers Lee

Directing Next Month?: Please Confirm

Please check the list below and notify Graham (webmaster@actvets.cc) if you are unable to meet your obligations or provide a substitute director in your absence. We need more volunteers for August and beyond.